Shy Girls Social Club Read online

  “We’re going to be fine,” Lacey insisted. “This is a good routine.”

  “We know that,” Sandy said. “It doesn’t help with the nerves much though, does it?”

  Lacey shook her head. “No, it doesn’t.”

  For most of the rest of the day, the talk around the school was of nothing but the dance. Of who was taking whom to it, and what they would be wearing. Of who was likely to try to pull some kind of prank, or make an embarrassment of themselves. And, of course, of the competition between the girls in the freshman class. The teachers seemed to indulge the excitement, perhaps knowing that there wasn’t much they could do to contain it anyway.

  Lacey was surprised to hear her own name in some of the gossip. Part of it was about the rivalry with Tempest, but a lot of it was about her going to the dance with Landers. People didn’t seem nearly as shocked by that news as Lacey would have expected.

  Finally, finally, school ended for the day, and Lacey was able to go home and get ready. Not that the dance was so soon, but Lacey wanted to look perfect. Besides, she could hardly wait. She showered and changed into the dress that she would be wearing for the evening. It was a long, strapless, chiffon number in lavender, with a detachable skirt. Lacey put on dance shorts under it, and started work on her makeup.

  Time flew by, and pretty soon, Lacey heard the doorbell ringing. A few seconds later, her mother called up to her.

  “Lacey. Landers is here.”

  Lacey took one last look at herself in the mirror before heading downstairs. Did she look taller in this dress? Older? She thought she probably did. She just hoped that she would look good enough to fit in on Landers’ arm.

  When she got downstairs, Lacey couldn’t help staring at Landers. His tuxedo could easily have looked uncomfortably out of place, but it didn’t. It suited him, fitting him well and emphasizing his broad shouldered athleticism. Landers was staring at her too.

  “You look… wow.” Lacey heard him catch his breath. “Amazing, just amazing.”

  He had brought a corsage for Lacey to wear, pinning it to her dress delicately, almost as if he were afraid that she was too good to be true, that she might disappear when he touched her.

  Lacey’s parents seemed just as impressed. At least, they insisted of standing around taking pictures of the two of them for what seemed like forever. Lacey actually started to worry that they might miss the beginning of the dance at that rate, but Landers didn’t seem as concerned.

  “Of course they want pictures,” he whispered. “You look beautiful tonight, Lacey.”

  “You clean up pretty well yourself, but we need to get going.”

  “If you think so…”

  Landers took Lacey’s hand and led the way over to that big SUV of his. Lacey climbed in carefully, worried about creasing the dress. Valerie and Sandy, along with their dates, would be meeting them at the dance, but they had agreed to pick up Penny and Samuel from Penny’s house. They drove over together, and Lacey actually started to worry that they might have some sort of accident, Landers glanced over at her so often.

  Penny and Samuel were waiting for them when they arrived. Samuel looked a little out of place in formal wear, but Penny wore a very nice pastel toned dress that suited her a lot. Samuel certainly seemed to think so, because he spent almost as much time staring at her as Landers did at Lacey.

  From there, they made better time than Lacey had expected. Maybe Landers was just in a hurry to get to the school and show her off. Whatever it was, the four of them arrived just as the dance was starting, walking into the rapidly filling gym, music playing around them. Mrs. Hamm was there, wearing a sleeveless outfit that only served to show off her muscles more than usual, with Coach Smith beside her. Lacey spotted other teachers dotted around the room as chaperones. It seemed so strange to see them like this, outside of their classrooms.

  Lacey quickly found other familiar faces in the throng. Valerie and Sandy were there along with their dates, dressed in tones that went well with those of Penny and Lacey’s dresses. Kelly was further off, looking very glamorous as she danced with someone who had to be Landers’ friend Frank. Other kids, ones whom Lacey had interviewed for her article, were there in a wide array of dresses and tuxes, making the whole room seem alive with color.

  Tempest was there too, of course. She stood at the center of a crowd of other girls, many of whom Lacey recognized from the previous night’s incident at the ice cream parlor. Their dresses were in shimmering shades of silver and gold that caught the light. Tempest’s was among the brightest, and her hair fell in carefully considered waves down its back.

  “Look at them,” Penny said.

  Valerie nodded. “Impressive.”

  “They look like they really mean business with this dance competition,” Sandy added.

  Lacey shook her head. “It’s just typical Tempest. All surface.”

  “But what if that’s enough?” Penny asked. She suddenly sounded very nervous.

  “Penny,” Lacey said. “Relax. We’re not going to let them intimidate us just because they’re wearing the entire Treasury on them. We’re ready.”

  “Yeah,” Penny said. She sounded a little more confident. “We are, aren’t we?”

  Valerie snorted. “We know our moves so well; we can do them in our sleep. I think that counts as ready.”

  Sandy nodded her agreement.

  “Besides,” Lacey pointed out, “we have a secret weapon. After all, Kelly wouldn’t have shown us moves that she didn’t think the dance troupe would like, would she?”

  That got a more resounding chorus of agreement from the other girls.

  The dance continued as it was for perhaps twenty minutes before Mrs. Hamm stood up at the front and bellowed for everyone’s attention. Silence fell over the assembled crowd.

  “As you probably know, Coach Smith and I have set a challenge to the freshmen girls. They were to break into teams and produce dance routines to be shown off tonight. Well, it is time for them to show us what they have managed. Teams, as I call you up, come to the front and get ready.”

  They weren’t the first ones called, thankfully. Lacey wasn’t sure that her nerves would have stood for that. Though it was hard enough standing there, watching all the groups of girls who had obviously worked so hard over the previous fortnight. Some of the teams were pretty good, impressing Lacey a lot, while even those who weren’t at least entered into the spirit of things as they were called up.

  A thought came to Lacey. She had told Kelly what their team was called, but she hadn’t told Mrs. Hamm. Would she be able to call them out if they didn’t have a team name?

  “Who’s next then? Ah. The Shy Girls Social Club.”

  Lacey looked at the others. Sandy shrugged. “I gave her our team name and music when I came in.”

  “Hurry up there,” Mrs. Hamm instructed in a voice that didn’t really leave room for argument. They rushed to the front of the hall. Lacey could feel the eyes on her and the others. It was so embarrassing standing there in their starting positions, waiting for the music.

  Finally, the music started. When they changed their routine, they had taken something from a Broadway musical. It probably wasn’t the most up to date choice, but it meant that they had something that was designed with dance routines in mind. As the music got going, Lacey felt her nerves evaporating. She let it move her, and threw herself into the first few steps.

  The others did the same, moving with even more confidence than they’d had in practice. As Kelly had suggested, the moves they did weren’t that difficult, but they were impressive, and easy for people to follow. They stepped and spun, kicked and moved, all in perfect time. Lacey grinned as she started to enjoy herself. Now for the good bit.

  In one coordinated movement, the four of them ripped away the detachable skirts of their dresses, revealing the shorts underneath and giving them the freedom to drop into a synchronized quartet of splits. That brought a gasp from a few of those watching, followed by a sudden wa
ve of applause that washed over Lacey, making her smile all the broader. The reception for their efforts was almost rapturous.

  Landers rushed forwards while Lacey stood and reattached her skirt.

  “That was amazing!” He folded her in his arms. “Incredible.”

  Lacey nodded, but even as she did it, Tempest and her team brushed past.

  “Do you think it will be enough to beat her?”

  Landers shrugged. “Even if it’s not, you’re still the best to me, you know that, right?”

  Lacey nodded. Even so, she felt her nerves resurfacing. What if Tempest’s routine was better? What if she, Penny, Valerie and Sandy had put in all that work for nothing? Lacey didn’t think she would mind if most of the other teams won, but not Tempest’s. Anything but Tempest’s.

  Mrs. Hamm consulted her clipboard. “Our final performers are called… oh, just ‘Tempest’s Team’, dear? Well, if you say so.”

  This music definitely wasn’t Broadway. Its beat was heavy and defined, pulsing away in the background while Tempest and the others danced. If you could call it dancing…more like a strip tease. They hardly seemed to move, except for their hips, and the moves they did make didn’t really seem appropriate for a high school gym. Obviously, Tempest had decided to play up to a few of the boys in the crowd. Or maybe that was really the only way she knew how to dance.

  If she thought it was going to get a great response, she was disappointed. The music came to an end, and scattered applause sprang up here and there. Mostly from people who usually hung around Tempest. It certainly wasn’t enough for her.

  “What?” Tempest demanded. “Don’t you idiots have any taste?”

  “You certainly don’t, dear,” Mrs. Hamm muttered under her breath, though being Mrs. Hamm, the sound traveled around the room. Somebody laughed towards the back. Tempest whirled, as though she might say something angry in return, but even she wasn’t stupid enough to argue with the physical education teacher.

  Mrs. Hamm and Coach Smith went off to one side to discuss results.

  “It’s a forgone conclusion,” Landers said softly.

  “I don’t think your vote counts,” Lacey pointed out. “You’re biased.”

  “Well, a bit.”

  Finally though, Mrs. Hamm was ready to announce the result. “We’ve had some excellent dancing here tonight; along with some efforts that maybe needed a little more work. Still, we have a result, with the winners taking places on next year’s dance troupe. The winners are…”

  Lacey held her breath.

  “The Shy Girls’ Social Club!”

  Epilogue

  After the excitement of Friday night’s dance, Monday morning was strangely relaxing. Her first class being the newspaper one, Lacey headed over to it to hand in her finished article. She had been working on it for most of the weekend, but it was finally ready. Lacey arrived a little early for the class, but Landers was already there.

  He saw her and smiled, pulling her into his arms and kissing the tip of her nose.

  “You’re done? You went to the dance, won the tournament, and still found time to write your article?”

  “I know, I’m amazing like that,” Lacey said. She held out the article for Landers to take.

  “So, did you learn anything doing it?” he asked.

  Lacey nodded. “You know I did. It’s why you gave me the assignment, isn’t it?”

  “Well, maybe. So, what did you learn?”

  Lacey thought for a moment. “A lot. I learned not to believe in labels when it comes to people, for one thing. They aren’t just part of some clique. They’re all different.”

  Landers raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”

  Lacey smiled. “I learned to believe in myself and not be intimidated by bullies like Tempest…to trust myself and believe that my friends will stand up with me against that sort of thing. At least if I have the right friends.”

  “It sounds like a good lesson to learn,” Landers observed

  Lacey nodded. “It is. That’s why I have a plan.”

  Landers took her article and put it on one of the desks, ready to read through. “A plan? That sounds interesting. Is it something I’m likely to get another article out of?”

  “Maybe,” Lacey laughed. “I was talking to Penny, Valerie and Sandy, and we’ve kind of decided to make the Shy Girls Social Club official.”

  “Official?”

  “We want there to be a group where girls can support each other rather than being mean to one another. Where we can help each other grow while standing up to bullies like Tempest. We’ve decided to invite as many girls as we can.”

  Landers nodded. “It sounds like a good idea. And maybe I was right. Maybe there is an article in this.”

  “It would be good to get publicity,” Lacey admitted. “It’s never acceptable for people like Tempest to treat people the way she treated me and my friends. If more people know about it, then there will be more people to fight back and regain our dignity. The dignity of all girls who refuse to cave into a bully’s demands.”

  “I’m proud of you,” Landers said. “Tell me, is there room in all this for us?”

  “There’s an ‘us’ beyond the dance?” Lacey asked. That had been the one small sliver of doubt in the couple of days after her victory.

  Landers smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. “Don’t act like you don’t feel the same way. You must know how much I like you by now, Lacey. I want to see a lot more of you, Lacey, and not just because you live across the street from me or happen to be on the newspaper. I like you. I really like you.”

  “Good,” Lacey said, standing up on tiptoes to kiss Landers in return. “Because I really like you too, Mr. Editor.”

  “Then I guess we’re stuck with one another,” Landers said. “Unless you think that it’s unethical for an editor to date his reporters?”

  Lacey sighed. “Oh, we’re in high school, and you’re a student too, not just my editor.” She pulled in close to him, her lips barely touching his. “Just shut up and kiss me again, Landers.”

  Thankfully, Landers just grinned and did as he was asked. Who said boys never listened? Victory at the dance, the social club becoming official, and Landers wanting to see more of her. It was, Lacey decided as Landers’ lips met hers, turning out to be a great year.

  *********************

  The girls’ stories with Landers, Samuel, and more continues in Book 2

  Fall 2011

  To find out more about

  Shy Girls Social Club

  Visit

  http://www.shygirlssocialclub.com

  For Discussion Questions for Groups and Classes about the Issues in Shy Girls Social Club

  Visit

  http://kailingow.wordpress.com/book-discussion-questions-for-teens-and-young-adults/

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